Expandable rim width insert

ABSTRACT

A machine for retreading tires includes a rotatable hub and an expandable rim disposed around the moveable hub. The expandable rim includes a plurality of shoes, each shoe having a flange segment on either side of a rim segment of the plurality of shoes. An adapter is attached to each of the flange segments such that an expandable rim width is decreased. A method for modifying a width of an expandable rim for use in a tire retreading machine comprising is also disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/868,839, filed Sep. 29, 2015, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/194,861 filed Jul. 21, 2015 andentitled “Expandable Rim Width Insert”, the entire disclosure of whichis incorporated herein by reference. This application is related to U.S.Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 14/868,839 filed Sep. 29,2015 and entitled “Expandable Rim Width Insert”, the entire disclosureof which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The field relates generally to an apparatus and method of using adaptersto modify a rim width for an existing expandable rim suited for mountinga tire or a casing onto a machine.

BACKGROUND

Retreaded tires provide an economical way to gain additional use fromtire casings after the original tread or retread has become worn.According to a method of retreading, sometimes referred to as coldprocess retreading, a worn tire tread and other materials on a used tireare removed to create a buffed, generally textured, treadless surfacealong the circumference of the tire casing to which a new tread may bebonded.

The tire casing may be inspected for injuries, some of which may beskived and filled with a repair gum while others may be severe enough towarrant rejection of the tire casing. After completion of the skivingprocess, the buffed surface may be sprayed with cement that provides atacky surface for application of bonding material and new tread. Next, alayer of cushion gum may be applied to the back, i.e., the insidesurface of a new tread, or alternatively, the layer of cushion gum maybe applied directly to the tacky surface on the tire casing. There areother methods that may eliminate the need for cement or cushion gum. Thecushion gum is a layer of uncured rubber material. The cushion gum andtread may be applied in combination about the circumference of the tirecasing to create a retreaded tire assembly for curing. As analternative, a length of tire tread may be wrapped around the tirecasing with the cushion gum already applied. The cushion gum may formthe bond between the tread and the tire casing during curing.

Certain retreading processes such as the buffing of the tire casing maybe carried out on specialized equipment that rotatably mount the casingonto an expandable rim. The expandable rim may include various sectionsthat move radially outwardly with respect to a central hub to expand toa circumference of the rim and sealably engage the beads of the casing,which is inflated to provide a resilient surface that can be buffed orotherwise processed. The machine may include a rasp that can be appliedto the surface of the tire to remove rubber. Because the circumferenceof a tire casing can more easily be measured by the operator, thedesired final radius of the tire casing is may be identified in relationto the final circumference of the tire casing.

Expandable rims have a rim width that is fixed for a given machine.However, such fixed widths are not suitable for processing tires orcasings having different widths, thus necessitating the purchase andinstallation of expandable rims having different widths betweenproduction runs of different tires. In some instances, the width of suchrims may be adjusted by cutting and welding the expandable rims toadjust the width of the rim, for example shorten the initial width ofthe rim. This is costly and also permanently changes the width of theexpandable rim so that the rim is no longer usable with tires having awidth equal to the initial width.

SUMMARY

Some embodiments include systems and methods for adjusting a width of arim enabling mounting of tires of various widths on the rim, and inparticular to adjusting a width of an expandable rim by mounting aplurality of adapters or inserts to at least a portion of a flangesegment of the rim so that the rim has a resulting rim width differentthan an original rim width.

In some embodiments, a machine for retreading tires includes anexpandable rim is configured to be disposed around a moveable hub. Theexpandable rim includes a plurality of shoes arranged symmetrically in acircumferential direction. Each of the plurality of shoes includes abase portion and a rim portion. The rim portion includes a rim segmentand flange segments disposed on either side of the rim segment. The rimsegment has an original rim width measured along the rotation axis ofthe rim between inward facing surfaces of the flange segments. A belt isdisposed along the rim segment of the plurality of shoes. An adapter isattached to a flange segment of each of the plurality of shoes. Theadapter extends over a circular segment of the expandable rim formed bythe rim portion of the plurality of shoes and the adapter has a circularcurvature corresponding to a circular curvature of the rim portion ofeach of the plurality of shoes. A resulting rim width measured along therotation axis of the rim between at least one inward facing surface ofthe adapter and an inward facing surface of the flange segment atanother side of the rim is different than the original rim width.

In some embodiments, a method for modifying the width of an expandablerim for use in a tire retreading machine includes assembling a pluralityof shoes to form a cylindrical rim structure. Each of the plurality ofshoes include a rim portion and a base portion. The rim portion includesa rim segment with a flange segment on either side of the rim segment.The rim segment has an original width measured along a rotation axis ofthe rim between inward facing surfaces of the flange segments. Anadapter is attached to at least one flange segment of each shoe of theplurality of shoes. The adapter extends over a circular segment of theexpandable rim formed by the rim portion of the plurality of shoes andthe adapter has a circular curvature corresponding to a circularcurvature of the rim portion of the each of the plurality of shoes. Aresulting rim width measured along the rotation axis between at leastone inward facing surface of the adapter and an inward facing surface ofthe flange segment on the other side of the rim segment or an inwardfacing surface of the another adapter attached to inward facing surfaceof the flange segment on the other side of the rim is different than theoriginal rim width.

In some embodiments, a method for servicing a modified expandable rimfor use in a tire retreading machine includes removing at least oneexisting adapter from a flange segment of a plurality of shoes. Theplurality of shoes include a rim portion and a base portion. The rimportion includes a rim segment and the flange segments on either side ofthe rim segment. The adapter extends over a circular segment of theexpandable rim formed by the rim portion of the plurality of shoes andhas a circular curvature corresponding to a circular curvature of therim portion of each of the plurality of shoes. A resulting rim widthmeasured along the rotation axis between at least one inward facingsurface of the existing adapter and an opposite inward facing surface ofthe flange segment is different than an original rim width. The originalrim width is measured between inward facing surfaces of the flangesegments. A belt surrounding the expandable rim is removed. Theexpandable rim is disassembled to separate the plurality of shoes. Theplurality of shoes are reassembled to form the expandable rim. The beltis repositioned on the expandable rim. The at least one existing adapteris replaced with at least one new adapter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing description and other features will become more fullyapparent from the following description and appended claims, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that thesedrawings depict only several implementations in accordance with thedisclosure and are therefore, not to be considered limiting of itsscope, the disclosure will be described with additional specificity anddetail through use of the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a tire buffing system in accordance withthe disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an expandable rim assembly in accordancewith the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a shoe in accordance with thedisclosure.

FIG. 4 is a fragmented view of a shoe in accordance with the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for a method for modifying the width of anexpandable rim.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for a method for servicing a modified expandablerim in accordance with the disclosure.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings throughout the followingdetailed description. In the drawings, similar symbols typicallyidentify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. Theillustrative implementations described in the detailed description,drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other implementationsmay be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing fromthe spirit or scope of the disclosure. It will be readily understoodthat the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally describedherein, and illustrated in the figures, can be arranged, substituted,combined, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations,all of which are explicitly contemplated and made part of thisdisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Some embodiments include systems and methods for adjusting a width of arim enabling mounting of tires of various widths on the rim, and inparticular to adjusting a width of an expandable rim by coupling aplurality of adapters or inserts to at least a portion of a flangesegment of the rim so that the rim has a resulting rim width differentthan an original rim width.

A buffing machine 100 having a tire 102 mounted on a rotating,expandable rim 104 is shown schematically in FIG. 1. As shown, themachine 100 may be a standalone, dedicated machine for buffing tiresprior to a retreading operation, or may alternatively be part of aretreading machine that can perform other operations, such as installinga new tread onto the casing.

During operation, the expandable rim 104 and tire 102 rotate at aconstant angular rate of rotation during operation, for example, 60-90revolutions per minute (RPM), but may also rotate at a variable speed.An electric motor 106 is connected to a hub 108 of the expandable rim104 to provide the rotation of the tire 102, but any other type ofrotary actuator may be used, such as hydraulically or pneumaticallypowered motors, or even mechanical arrangements providing a rotatingoutput. As shown, the hub 108 includes timing features that are pickedup by an angular displacement encoder 110 associated with the machine100. A control signal of the motor 106 may be provided by an electroniccontroller 112 via a motor control conduit 114, while informationindicative of the rotation of the hub 108 may be provided to thecontroller 112 by the encoder 110 via a tire rotation informationconduit 116.

The machine 100 further includes a buffing tool or rasp 118. The rasp118 may be any device capable of cutting material from the tire 102 asit rotates. In some embodiments, the rasp 118 can include a laminatedsteel drum having saw teeth arranged around its outer cylindricalsurface.

Although many configurations are possible, the rasp 118 is connected tothe machine 100 at the end of an arm 122. A rasp rpm sensor 132 iscommunicatively coupled to the rasp motor 130 and the electroniccontroller 112 via rasp rpm conduit 134, and configured to provideinformation on rasp 118 rotational speed to the electronic controller112. The position of the arm 122 and of the rasp 118 relative to thetire 102 can be adjusted by a rasp actuator 124. The rasp actuator 124positions a rasp head to sweep a circular arc across a face of the tire102 at a defined radius. A force thus derived is caused by theinterference between the rasp face and the circumference of the tire 102being buffed. There are other arrangements of the arm 122, rasp actuator124, and other parts of the cutting assembly that are known in the artand incorporated herein. This pressing or normal force effects removalof material from the tire 102 and is carried out in response to commandsignals provided by the electronic controller 112 via a rasp actuatorcontrol conduit 125. In FIG. 1, an outer circumference 126 of the tire102 is illustrated by dashed line. In that same figure, a cutting depth128, which is located radially inward from the outer circumference 126relative to a center of the tire 102, is shown in dash-dot-dashed line.

The electronic controller 112 is communicatively coupled to an operationpanel 142 via an input panel conduit 148. The input panel 142 includesan input device 146 (e.g., an alphanumeric keyboard, switches, buttons,etc.) and a display 144. A user can input commands, for example rasp 118cutting depth, tire rotation speed, tread pattern, etc. via the inputdevice 146. A cutting depth sensor 136 which can include a smallrotatable wheel is positioned in contact with an outer surface of thetire 102 via a depth sensor mounting arm 138. The cutting depth sensor136 is communicatively coupled to the electronic controller 112 viadepth sensor conduit 140. While various sensors included in the buffingmachine 100 are depicted as communicatively coupled to the electroniccontroller 112 via conduits, in some embodiments, each of the sensors,input panel 142 or otherwise electronic components can be wirelesslycoupled to the electronic controller 112 (e.g., via Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi,or any other wireless communication protocol).

During a cutting operation, the rasp 118 is driven by a rasp motor 130in a counter-rotational direction relative to the tire 102. The motor130 is controlled and monitored by the electronic controller 112 througha motor control conduit 131. When the rasp 118 is in position at thecutting depth 128 and the rasp motor 130 is operating, material isremoved from the outer portion of the tire 102 as the teeth or othercutting mechanism of the rasp 118 are pressed against the outercircumference 126 of the tire 102. To prevent rotation and to retain thetire 102 firmly on the expandable rim 104 during the cutting operation,the expandable rim 104 is placed in an expanded position such that arubber skirt or belt (not shown) placed around an outer rim thereofsealably engages a bead of the tire 102 to seal the inner cavity of thetire 102 and inflate the tire 102 when air is pumped in its interior.The expandable rim 104 also laterally engages the bead of the tire 102to ensure that the tire 102 maintains a proper inflated shape and issecurely retained by the expandable rim 104 during the variousoperations that are performed on the tire 102.

An exploded view of an expandable rim assembly 200 is shown in FIG. 2.The expandable rim assembly 200 may be associated with a machine (e.g.,the buffing machine 100) in much the same way as the expandable rim 104described above and shown in FIG. 1. The expandable rim assembly 200 isconfigured for use with a hub (e.g., the hub 108), which includessurfaces that push radially ramped portions of a plurality of segmentedshoes 202 that make up the expandable rim radially outward, thus pushingthem apart to expand the rim assembly 200.

As shown in FIG. 2, the expandable rim assembly 200 includes theplurality of segmented shoes 202 that, together, form a cylindrical rimstructure 204. Each of the plurality of segmented shoes 202 extends overan angle around the cylindrical rim structure 204, which in someembodiments may be about 30 degrees, such that twelve shoes 202 completethe cylindrical structure 204, but other angles and number of shoes canbe used. Radially extending slits 206 extending through the cylindricalrim structure 204 result at the interfaces between adjacent shoes 202.Each slit 206 is covered by a respective support plate 208, which has agenerally curved shape that is consistent with an outer drum surface 210of the cylindrical rim structure 204. Each support plate 208 forms twoposts 212, each of which locates the support plate 208 on the outersurface 210 of the cylindrical structure 204 (also referred to herein as“outer drum surface 210”) by being inserted into a corresponding opening214 formed by shallow cutouts or detents in the edges of the shoes 202along the slits 206.

A skirt or belt 216 having a generally cylindrical shape is placedaround and covers the outer drum surface 210 of the cylindrical rimstructure 204. One or more (two shown) air conduits 220 providecompressed air to and from a nipple 222 through a series of alignedopenings along an air path 224 to an air nozzle 226 that is connected tothe belt 216 and disposed within the interior of a tire (e.g., the tire102) when the tire is mounted onto the expandable rim assembly 200. Inthis way, the tire can be inflated and deflated, as desired, byproviding or evacuating air to/from the air nozzle 226. Bolts 228 thatengage nuts 230, or a different fastening arrangement, can be used toretain the belt 216 around the cylindrical rim structure 204 such thatthe belt 216 is prevented from rotating relative to the cylindrical rimstructure 204 and the shoes 202 are held together.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view a shoe 300 and FIG. 4 is asidecross-section of the shoe 300. The shoe 300 may be used in an expandablerim, for example, in place of one or each of the shoes 202 that make upthe expandable rim assembly 200 shown in FIG. 2 and described above. Theshoe 300 includes a base portion 302, which is sometimes referred to asthe shank and which is generally plate-shaped, and a rim portion 304,which defines a circular segment of an expandable rim. The rim portion304 includes a rim segment 306 and a flange segment 308, which togetherform a structure having a generally U-shaped cross section, into which atire may be accommodated. The rim segment 306 includes a drum surface310 onto which other structures may be disposed such as, for example,the support plates 208 and/or portions of the inner belt 216, when theshoe 300 has been assembled into an expandable rim assembly such as theexpandable rim assembly 200 (FIG. 2).

At the radially inward part of the shoe 300, on the end of the baseportion 302, various features are formed that facilitate the mounting,retention, and relative motion of the shoe 300 with respect to a conicalhub (e.g., the hub 108) around which the shoes 300 are positioned, whenthe rim is expanding or contracting during operation. It should beappreciated that although the interface features shown may be commonacross different expandable rim assemblies, other features than thoseshown here can be used. As shown in FIG. 4, the end of the base portion302 that is the furthest away from the rim portion 304 forms a step 312that is disposed next to a notch 314. A ramp 316 formed at the bottom ofa V-shaped channel 318 extends away from the end of the base portion302, towards the rim portion 304, in a direction away from the step 312along the bottom edge of the base portion 302. When the shoe 300 isassembled into an expandable rim assembly, for example, the expandablerim assembly 200 (FIG. 2), the ramp 316 and channel 318 matingly andslidably engage a rib 322 of a conical hub 324 that actuates the shoe300.

A perspective view of the shoe 300 with a set of adapters, for example,inserts 412, is shown in FIG. 3. The inserts 412 are generally flatplates with an annular shape and a curvature that matches the curvatureof the inside face 420 of each flange segment 308 and has a rectangularcross section. The inserts 412 have a bottom surface 432 and a topsurface 434 such that the curvature of the bottom surface 432 isgenerally concentric with the curvature of the top surface 434. Theinserts 412 extend over the same circular segment as the shoe 300 theyare installed on to preserve unobstructed operation of the expandablerim assembly, for example, the assembly 200 discussed above. The inserts412 are attached to an inside face 420 of each flange segment 308. Apair of inserts 412 is thus attached to each shoe 300 of the expandablerim assembly 200.

The inserts 412 are attached to the inside face 420 of each flangesegment 308 with the bottom surface 432 of the insert 412 elevated from,and not in contact with, the drum surface 310. In this configuration,the inserts 412 are installed over the belt 216. Alternatively, thebottom surface 432 of the insert 412 may be curved to provide a flushcontact between the bottom surface 432 and the drum surface 310. In thisalternate configuration, the inserts 412 are installed adjacent the belt216. A wall thickness, T, of each insert 412, which wall thickness ismeasured as a distance each insert 412 extends from the inside face 420of the respective flange segment 308 to which the insert 412 is attachedto, is the same for the inserts 412 attached to all of the shoes 300 fora given expandable rim assembly 200, such that a width of the drumsurface 310 that accommodates the bead of a tire is reduced. Similarly,a height H of the insert 412, as measured by how far the insert 412extends from the top surface 434 towards the drum surface 310, can haveany height sufficient to laterally retain the bead and/or sidewall ofthe tire or casing disposed between the inserts 412 while still allowingthe insertion and removal of the tire or casing onto the expandable rimassembly. For example, the height can be at minimum, the distance fromthe top surface 326 of the flange segment 308 to a clearance above thebelt 216 and at maximum, the distance that the flange segment 308extends radially from the drum surface 310 so that normal or expectedoperation of the expandable rim is not affected. Other heights may alsobe used.

The inserts 412 can be made from plastic, steel, aluminum, or any othersuitable material. The inserts 412 can be cast, machined, or otherwisefashioned. In an embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the inserts 412 areattached to the flange segments 308 with a fastener. A threaded fastener416 passes through an opening 424 formed by the flange segment 308 andan opening 418 formed by the insert 412 to fasten the insert 412 to theflange segment 308. In some embodiments, the threaded fastener 416 canpass from the outside face 422 of the flange segment 308 through theopening 424 of the flange segment 308, which is not threaded, and intothe opening 418 of the insert 412, which is threaded. In someembodiments, the threaded fastener 416 can pass from an inner side faceof the insert 412 through the opening 418 of the insert 412, which isnot threaded, and into the opening 424 of the flange segment 308, whichis threaded. Alternatively, the insert 412 can be fastened to the flangesegment 308 using welding, pinning, or other methods. Once attached, theinserts 412 modify the original expandable rim width W, which extendsbetween inward facing surfaces of the flange, to a new shorterexpandable rim width W′, which extends between the inward facingsurfaces of the inserts 412.

A flowchart for a method 500 of modifying a rim width of an expandablerim in accordance with the disclosure is shown in FIG. 5. At step 502, aplurality of shoes are assembled to form a cylindrical rim structure.Each of the plurality of shoes includes a rim portion and a baseportion. The rim portion includes a rim segment with a flange segmentdisposed on each side of the rim segment. The rim segment has anoriginal rim width measured along a rotation axis of the rim betweeninward facing surfaces of the flange segments. The plurality of shoescan include, for example the shoes 200 or 300 described before hereinwhich are assembled on a hub, e.g., the hub 108 as described in detailwith respect to FIGS. 1-2.

At step 504, an adapter is attached to at least one flange segment ofeach of the plurality of shoes. For example, the inserts 412 areattached to an inward surface of the flange segment 306 of the shoe 300.The inserts 412 can be attached using any suitable means, for examplefasteners, welded, snap-fit, via adhesive, etc. as described herein. Itshould be appreciated that, depending on the desired rim width, a singleadapter and/or insert may be installed on only one flange segment of theshoe rather than a pair positioned opposite to each other, as shown inthe flowchart of FIG. 5 herein. The adapter extends over a circularsegment of the expandable rims formed by the rim portion of theplurality of shoes and has a circular curvature corresponding to acircular curvature of the rim portion of each of the plurality of shoes.

In various embodiments, a belt or skirt is positioned around theplurality of shoes, for example to provide form a seal with beads of atire positioned on the rim segment, as described herein. Attaching theadapters on the flange segments causes the expandable rim to have anresulting rim width measured along the rotation axis of the rim betweenthe inward facing surface of the adapter and an inward facing surface ofthe flange segment on the other side of the rim, or an inward facingsurface of another adapter attached to the inward facing surface of theflange segment on the other side of the rim. The resulting rim width isdifferent from the original rim width, for example smaller than theoriginal rim width.

A flowchart for a method 600 of modifying a rim width of an expandablerim which includes a plurality of adapters coupled to flange segments ofa plurality of shoes (e.g., the shoes 200 or 300) included in theexpandable rim in accordance with the disclosure is shown in FIG. 6. Anexisting set of adapters is removed from a plurality of shoes at step602. For example, the plurality of adapters 412 coupled to the flangesegments 308 of the plurality of shoes 300 are removed from the flangesegments 308 by removing fasteners 416 coupling the adapters 412 to theflange segment 308 of the plurality of shoes 300. The plurality of shoesinclude a rim portion and a base portion. The rim portion includes a rimsegment and flange segments on either side of the rim segment.Furthermore, the adapter extends over the same circular segment of theexpandable rim as a rim portion of the plurality of shoes and theadapter has a same circular curvature as the rim portion of theplurality of shoes.

At step 604, a belt surrounding the expandable rim is removed. Forexample, the belt or skirt 216 surrounding the cylindrical rim structure204 formed by the plurality of shoes 202 is removed. A plurality ofshoes that form the cylindrical structure are disassembled at step 606.For example, each of the plurality of shoes 202 forming the cylindricalrim structure 204 are disassembled or otherwise removed therebydismantling the cylindrical structure 204.

At step 608, the plurality of shoes are reassembled to form theexpandable rim. For example the plurality of shows 202 are disassembledduring a downtime or maintenance operation of a buffing machine (e.g.,the machine 100) and reassembled for buffing another tire. At step 610,the belt is repositioned on the expandable rim. At step 612, theexisting adapter is replaced with at least one new adapter, for examplea new set of adapters, with a different thickness to change the workingwidth of the rim, is installed. Expanding further, a new set of adapters412 which have a second thickness different from the thickness of theadapters originally attached to the flange segment 308 of the shoes 300are now coupled to the at least a portion of the flange segment 308 ofthe rim portion 304 of the shoe 300. The thickness of the new set ofinserts 412 can correspond to a width of a tire, i.e., the distancebetween the inward surface of the new set of inserts 412 defines aresulting rim width corresponding to the width of the tire, therebyallowing secure mounting of the tire thereon, as described previouslyherein. It should be appreciated that, to service broken or worn outadapters, a new set of adapters can have the same thickness as theexisting set of adapter. It should also be appreciated that, dependingon the desired rim width, a single expander and/or insert may beinstalled rather than a pair, as shown in the flowchart herein.

In some embodiments, the existing adapters or inserts mounted on theflange segment can be replaced with new adapters or inserts withoutdisassembling the expandable rim. For example, to replace the existingadapter or inserts with the new adapters or inserts (e.g., the inserts412 or any other inserts described herein), a user can simply remove theexpandable rim from a hub of a buffing machine (e.g., hub 108 of buffingmachine 100) and replace the existing adapters or inserts with newadapters without disassembling the expandable rim. The expandable rimwith the new adapters or inserts can be mounted back on the hub and usedfor mounting a tire thereon for buffing as described herein.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in thecontext of describing embodiments (especially in the context of thefollowing claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and theplural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted bycontext. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing”are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, butnot limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of valuesherein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referringindividually to each separate value falling within the range, unlessotherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated intothe specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methodsdescribed herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwiseindicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The useof any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”)provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the embodimentsand does not pose a limitation on the scope of the embodiments unlessotherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construedas indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice ofthe embodiments.

It should be noted that the term “example” as used herein to describesome embodiments is intended to indicate that some embodiments arepossible examples, representations, and/or illustrations of possibleembodiments (and such term is not intended to connote that someembodiments are necessarily extraordinary or superlative examples).

The terms “coupled,” “connected,” and the like as used herein mean thejoining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Suchjoining may be stationary (e.g., permanent) or moveable (e.g., removableor releasable). Such joining may be achieved with the two members or thetwo members and any additional intermediate members being integrallyformed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two membersor the two members and any additional intermediate members beingattached to one another.

Some embodiments are described herein. Variations of those-embodimentsmay become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon readingthe foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans toemploy such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for theembodiments to be practiced otherwise than as specifically describedherein. Accordingly, embodiments include all modifications andequivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended heretoas permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of theabove-described elements in all possible variations thereof isencompassed by the embodiments unless otherwise indicated herein orotherwise clearly contradicted by context.

It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of thevarious embodiments are illustrative only. Although some embodimentshave been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in theart who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that manymodifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions,structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values ofparameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors,orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novelteachings and advantages of the subject matter described herein.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A machine comprising: an expandable rimconfigured to be disposed around a moveable hub, the expandable rimincluding a plurality of shoes arranged symmetrically in acircumferential direction, each of the plurality of shoes including abase portion and a rim portion, the base portion positioned closer tothe axis of rotation, the rim portion including a rim segment and flangesegments on either side of the rim segment, the rim segment having anoriginal rim width measured along the rotation axis of the rim betweeninward facing surfaces of the flange segments; a belt being disposedalong the rim segment of the plurality of shoes; and an adapter attachedto a flange segment of each of the plurality of shoes, the adapterextending over a circular segment of the expandable rim formed by therim portion of the plurality of shoes, the adapter having a circularcurvature corresponding to a circular curvature of the rim portion ofeach of the plurality of shoes; wherein a resulting rim width measuredalong the rotation axis of the rim between at least one inward facingsurface of the adapter and an inward facing surface of the flangesegment at another side of the rim is different than the original rimwidth, and wherein the adapter is an insert, the insert being a flatplate with an annular shape, the insert being attached to and extendingaway from an inward facing surface of the flange segment on one side ofthe rim, wherein the resulting rim width is measured between an inwardfacing surface of the insert on the one side of the rim and the inwardfacing surface of the flange segment on an opposite side of the rim. 2.The machine of claim 1, wherein the adapter and the flange segment areconnected using fasteners.
 3. The machine of claim 1, wherein theadapter is made of metal or plastic.
 4. The machine of claim 1, whereinthe adapter extends from adjacent a top surface of the flange segment toa distance above the belt.
 5. The machine of claim 1, wherein the insertis a first insert, the machine further comprising: a second insertattached to the inward facing surface of the flange segment at theanother side of the rim, the insert being attached to and extending awayfrom the inward facing surface of the flange segment on the oppositeside of the rim, wherein the resulting rim width is measured between aninward facing surface of the insert on the one side of the rim and aninward facing surface of the insert on the opposite side of the rim. 6.The machine of claim 1, wherein the base portion of the shoe has agenerally flat planar shape.
 7. The machine of claim 1, wherein the baseportion of the shoe forms a channel is generally V-shaped and a ramp isformed as an edge along a bottom of the channel.
 8. The machine of claim1, wherein the base portion of the shoe forms a channel at one end andis connected to the rim portion at an opposite end.
 9. The machine ofclaim 1, further comprising support plates arranged around theexpandable rim.
 10. A method for modifying a width of an expandable rimfor use in a tire retreading machine comprising: assembling a pluralityof shoes to form a cylindrical rim structure, each of the plurality ofshoes including a rim portion and a base portion, the rim portionincluding a rim segment and flange segments on either side of the rimsegment, the rim segment having an original rim width measured along arotation axis of the rim between inward facing surfaces of the flangesegments; and attaching an adapter to at least one flange segment ofeach shoe of the plurality of shoes, the adapter extending over acircular segment of the expandable rim formed by the rim portion of theplurality of shoes, the adapter having circular curvature correspondingto a circular curvature of the rim portion of each of the plurality ofshoes; wherein a resulting rim width measured along the rotation axisbetween at least one inward facing surface of the adapter and an inwardfacing surface of the flange segment on the other side of the rim or aninward facing surface of another adapter attached to the inward facingsurface of the flange segment on the other side of the rim is differentthan the original rim width, and wherein the adapter is an insert, theinsert being a flat plate with an annular shape, the insert beingattached to and extending away from an inward facing surface of theflange segment on one side of the rim, wherein the resulting rim widthis measured between an inward facing surface of the insert positioned onone side of the rim and the inward facing surface of the flange segmentat an opposite side of the rim, or an inward facing surface of anotherinsert attached to the inward facing surface of the flange segment onthe other side of the rim, and wherein the resulting rim width issmaller than the original rim width.
 11. The method of claim 10, furthercomprising placing a belt around the plurality of shoes after assemblingthe plurality of shoes.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the adapterextends from adjacent a top surface of the flange segment to a distanceabove the belt.
 13. The method of claim 10, wherein the adapter and theflange segment are connected using fasteners.